Housing experts have accused older homeowners of preventing their children from ever getting on the housing ladder by guarding the ‘pristine’ land around their properties.

They said that despite the nation’s housing shortage reaching ‘emergency proportions’, there was still more land dedicated to horses in Britain than to homes.

Older generations are selfishly blocking new developments and ‘drawing up the drawbridge behind them’, the experts claimed.

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The former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake, who appealed to Britons to open their minds to new developments ‘if you want your children to have a chance in life’

And they said existing homeowners are being ‘unrealistic’ by opposing new-build properties in picturesque towns and villages.

Speaking at the UK’s biggest housing conference, a senior member at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) called for urgent action to tackle ‘nimbyism’ (not in my back yard).

Alison Inman said rural dwellers must realise their home was once built on untouched countryside, and they should not block younger generations from doing the same.

Speaking at Housing 2015, hosted by CIH, she said: ‘I think some of these people should volunteer to have their own houses knocked down – because it was beautiful, pristine countryside before their house was built. We have got to bottom out this issue of nimbyism.

‘There is loads more land devoted to golf courses than there are to people in Surrey. I think there is more land for horses in this country than there is for people, and we just get really weird about where we build stuff.’

The former head of the civil service, Lord Kerslake, also appealed to Britons to open their minds to new developments ‘if you want your children to have a chance in life’.

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The comments were made as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said the housing shortage was reaching ‘national emergency proportions’.

The number of homes for sale has plunged to its lowest level since records in 1978, with just 52 properties marketed per estate agent last month.

Critics said successive governments had failed to build enough homes, while the growth of buy-to-let had taken even more homes out of the market.

Lord Kerslake, who now chairs the Peabody Housing Association and also spoke at the conference, told the Mail: ‘We have to make the argument that we are concerned about future generations.

PROPERTY 'BEATS PENSION' FOR RETIREMENT

Property is increasingly seen as the most profitable way to invest for retirement – helping to fuel Britain’s buy-to-let boom.

A survey by the Office for National Statistics found that 42 per cent believe ploughing money into bricks and mortar was the best way to ‘make the most of your money’.

That compares with the 26 per cent who said paying into a workplace pension scheme would be best for their finances in retirement.

The proportion of investors favouring property has risen from 32 per cent little more than five years ago.

Lucien Cook, a director at estate agent Savills, said: ‘Rental income is extremely secure as there is rising demand from younger generations struggling to get on the housing ladder.’

'We have to take a positive view to new housing. If you want your children or your friends’ and family’s children to have a chance in life, you have to be open to new housing in your area.

‘People resist change. If you are used to an open space in front of you, the thought of it being developed is intrinsically something you worry about.’

Sir Robin Wales, the Labour mayor of the London borough of Newham, also waded into the debate, telling the conference: ‘We benefited from generous pensions, we were free from the burden of student debt and we were able to acquire our properties cheap and then reap the rewards of soaring house prices.

‘It’s not fair if we got on and pulled the ladder up. That’s morally unacceptable.’

A Campaign to Protect Rural England spokesman said Britain did need more affordable homes for younger people.

But he added: ‘However, our widely accepted research shows that suitable brownfield sites are already available for at least a million homes without the need to encroach on greenfield land.

‘Let’s use this wasted space in our towns and cities first, before building all over our irreplaceable countryside.’

The Government has pledged to ease the supply shortage by building 200,000 cut-price starter homes, but has not specified a time frame.